art

The Google Art Project expands online today with a collection of more than 200 objects displayed in full 3D. These objects are available - to the public - to be rotated and zoomed in on, allowing users to get up close and personal with them in ways never before possible, online or off. Oddities and rare pieces of artwork can now be turned around and inspected from all angles, all thanks to 3D scanning technology Google is now making available to museums around the world for free.

Not only does Google Cardboard provide a platform for Android smartphones to enter virtual reality, they're a fabulous platform for art as well. Using the original Google Cardboard unit as canvas, artists from across the country were asked to design, modify, and decorate. The "Dreams Incarnated" show took place on April 1st (no jokes, no pranks) at SERVICE in Portland Oregon. These viewfinders will be put up for sale on the 2nd of April to raise cash for the nonprofit known as p:ear.

Nintendo has a history of releasing obscure, rarely used peripherals for its video game consoles and portables. In this instance, I'm talking specifically about the Game Boy Camera and Game Boy Printer, two accessories for Nintendo's original 8-bit handheld that, well, let you take small, lo-fi pictures and print them with the same quality as a cash register receipt. Well, a Russian artist must've used these as inspiration, because he's hacked together what basically amounts to be a Game Boy-photo-gun-printer.

I love the intricate pieces and workmanship that go into mechanical watches that don’t need batteries. It's very intriguing to think that someone somewhere designed all these gears and springs to make a watch keep accurate time without resorting to electrics. A mechanical watchmaker called MB&F has unveiled one of its tenth anniversary timepieces and it's not a wristwatch.

Today Google expands on their "Google Street Art" project, bringing their collection started in 2014 to new, more massive heights. This expansion of works for the archive is being presented with several new "more immersive experiences," according to Google, "bringing street art to people's daily lives." a sort of a soft-launch of one outlet for this expansion appeared on Android Wear earlier this month.

As self-proclaimed curators of the world's knowledge, Google has access to thousands of humanity's greatest works. The tech giant is, of course, kind enough to let users in on this collection, even or especially if they can't be travel to personally be awestruck by these timeless pieces. The Google Art Project is one such attempt that gives access to high resolution images of the world's greatest artworks. And now Google is making that even easier. All you need to do is open a new browser tab.

It's not a bird, and it's not a plane. This strange and unique object is the newest 3D-printed instrument from Monad Studio by Eric Goldemberg and Veronica Zalcberb. The sculptural instrument is a part of their Abyecto series, which explores the relationship between sound and art. The design project takes its name, Abyecto, from the word abject which means wretched or deplorable. Showcased here is their 3D-printed, piezoelectric violin. It appears almost alien in nature, but it is designed to be played in the same way as a conventional violin.

Popular iPad art app Paper is dropping its in-app purchases and making all its add-on tools free, in the hope that sales of its Pencil stylus make up any shortfall along the way. Paper, which was Apple's iPad app of the year back in 2012, previously charged $0.99 apiece for each of the Sketch, Outline, Write, Color, and Mixer tools that could be added to the default Draw tools, but now each can be downloaded free as soon as you open the app. In return, app maker FiftyThree is focusing on its Pencil stylus, which although resembling a simple slip of wood or metal, actually contains some significant wireless smarts.

While scientists and engineers are still racing to make solar panels more efficient and feasible, some are trying to make the technology more attractive. Literally. Researchers from the VTT Technical Centre of Finland have developed a process that creates solar panels that are not only flexible but also organic and recyclable and can be used on things like windows, walls, machines, and other surfaces that can turn any structure, furniture, or even works of art into light-powered sources of energy for small devices and sensors.

I like to read, but I like to read cool stories with lots of action that I can take my time with. I've been known to mow through a book in an afternoon if it's particularly good. However, I wouldn't want to HAVE to read the book in 24 hours or it disappears. That is exactly what is happening with James Patterson's latest book.